Need SPWAW LAN Help!!!!

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Need SPWAW LAN Help!!!! - 3/6/2001 12:10:00 PM

Gary

Posts: 10
Joined: 2/10/2001
From: Chicago, IL
Status: offline

I'm desperately trying to play H2H on my home LAN. I've two home built systems networked with linksys PCI ethernet cards and 5 port hub (no firewall). Computer 1 which I'll call "host" has a modem, computer 2 which I'll call "client" does not. Don't know if the modem makes a difference because as I said I'm trying to play H2H on my home LAN nothing on internet. Running Win98 on host and Win98 SE on the client. Version 4.5 of SPWAW. After selecting online play, scenario, etc. the systems connect. The "client" is able to watch "hosts" moves on clients computer, even able to execute op-fire etc. The host computer is able to observe the clients op-fire, both computers are communicating fine till the end of player 1's turn 1. As soon as hosts turn 1 is over and clients turn 1 should begin, I rec message waiting to sync. and after a wait host computer locks up and client displays message "connection with server lost". End of game. I've tried everything. Assigned IP addresses to each computer 192.168.0.2, 192.168.0.3, subnet of 255.255.255.0, TCP/IP selected as default protocal. Both systems can ping each others address fine. Heck I even called Microsoft and asked their tech people to check my network settings (they say I'm fine) but I'm still unable to play this fine game H2H past player 1's turn 1. I even tried bypassing the hub by connecting the two network cards directly with a cross-over patch cable. Still no luck. While I built these computers myself and consider myself fairly computer literate I must confess to being pretty ignorant in the ways of networks, so please assume nothing and be pitifully obvious in any advice to me on how to solve this problem. I'm going crazy waiting to play this great game H2H with a friend or two. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. [This message has been edited by Gary (edited March 06, 2001).] [This message has been edited by Gary (edited March 06, 2001).]

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Post #: 1

- 3/6/2001 1:13:00 PM

skukko

Posts: 1928
Joined: 10/24/2000
From: Finland
Status: offline

I believe your net is ok configured. Try removing steel.prf from both SPWAW45 directories away. It helps in many problems, in pbem game hangs and corruptions also. Atleast for me. I have not found any problems with my LAN, I work thru serial cable first to see that it is only the game that causes problems, if not, I'll connect to netcards. steel.prf is in save-folder, if remember correct. Hope this helps, mosh

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salute

mosh

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Post #: 2

- 3/6/2001 8:32:00 PM

Silvarius

Posts: 87
Joined: 11/20/2000
From: LA VALLA EN GIER (FRANCE)
Status: offline

I have also problems with playing online with a PC connected to the Internet trough a gateway. I have "error 10065 no route to host" message when I try to connect to combat net, and "host not found" when I try to connect directly with IP adress. Silvarius.

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Post #: 3

- 3/6/2001 11:24:00 PM

Paul Vebber

Posts: 11430
Joined: 3/29/2000
From: Portsmouth RI
Status: offline

I've asked around and am stumped why it would work for a turn and then suddenly quit?

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Post #: 4

- 3/7/2001 12:34:00 AM

Larry Holt

Posts: 1969
Joined: 3/31/2000
From: Atlanta, GA 30068
Status: offline

Gary, well, its either an IP/LAN problem or a game problem. Lets see if we can isolate the cause. After the game dies, does the IP interface still work, that is can you ping and tracert from one to another? If so, I'd minimize (via alt-tab) the game just before it dies, start a tracert, alt-tab back to the game, watch it die then quickly alt-tab back to the tracert. See if there are lost packets using tracert, that is you will see *s instead of times in milliseconds indicating that those packets were lost. If this happens then your IP interface is dying. If not, its a game problem. ------------------ An old soldier but not yet a faded one. OK, maybe just a bit faded.

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Post #: 5

- 3/7/2001 10:40:00 AM

Gary

Posts: 10
Joined: 2/10/2001
From: Chicago, IL
Status: offline

First....my sincere thanks to all of you who have responded. The bad news is I've tried all of the above suggestions but to no avail. I have however discovered perhaps another clue to this puzzle. After "host" (player one) turn 1 is over, and as "client" (player two) turn 1 should begin the host locks with the message "waiting to synch" and the client computer acts as if it is suddenly playing against the AI. I moved several of the clients units and experienced op-fire from the hosts units (though I was not conducting the hosts fire. I have both computers side by side.) As a matter of fact as I'm writing this I've watched player 2's game advance nine two minute turns, while player ones screen still shows the "waiting for players to synch" message from the end of player ones turn 1. Absolutely no ability to comm from player one. The impression that I have is the communication seems to be only one way (despite the evident interaction between the computers during op-fire on player ones turn). As was suggested I pinged and ran tracert and everything is fine. I guess all I can do is play player 1's turn 1 in any H2H scenario. Any more ideas fellas, I realy could use some. Is anybody else playing H2H on a LAN with linksys cards? Just a thought. Thanks for anymore assistance. [This message has been edited by Gary (edited March 06, 2001).] [This message has been edited by Gary (edited March 06, 2001).]

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Post #: 6

- 3/7/2001 11:30:00 AM

David Heath

Posts: 3274
Joined: 3/29/2000
From: Staten Island NY
Status: offline

I know this may be a dum question but Gary are you playing a Head to Head game or a Online Play. If you are selecting Head to Head play then it will not work. You must select Online Play. David

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Post #: 7

- 3/7/2001 11:45:00 AM

Gary

Posts: 10
Joined: 2/10/2001
From: Chicago, IL
Status: offline

quote:

Originally posted by David Heath: I know this may be a dum question but Gary are you playing a Head to Head game or a Online Play. If you are selecting Head to Head play then it will not work. You must select Online Play. David

"There is no such thing as dumb question." If only the answer were so simple....alas I am selecting online play, IP addresses etc. Thanks anyway.

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Post #: 8

- 3/7/2001 9:50:00 PM

Larry Holt

Posts: 1969
Joined: 3/31/2000
From: Atlanta, GA 30068
Status: offline

Well based on your ping & tracert data, I'd say its not an IP/LAN problem. I'd suggest returning the game to Matrix and asking for your money back (JUST KIDDING!) At this point it seems that you have few tools to fix the problem. It has been said that when your only tool is a hammer, all problems look like nails. Can you try a blunt hammer approach and reinstall the game? Copy your saves and scenario (if you've downloaded any) directorys plus anything else you've changed to a temp dir, completely remove SPWaW, reboot and run sfc.exe (system files check) from the start menu run line. It will check for any changed system files. Set your system back to default, reboot, then reinstall. Good luck! ------------------ An old soldier but not yet a faded one. OK, maybe just a bit faded.

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Post #: 9

- 3/8/2001 10:13:00 AM

Gary

Posts: 10
Joined: 2/10/2001
From: Chicago, IL
Status: offline

Well.....at this point what I've decided to do is about as radical as I can get. My version of SPWAW is 4.5, however it started it's life on these systems as 4.0 with patch after patch, following patch. My thought is my problem may be manifesting itself because I've been through so many "mutations" of the game. Therefore I've decided to load an intact 4.5 version. Consequently as I write this I'm in the process of another marathon download. Once I have unpatched versions of 4.5 on both machines I'll give it a shot again and let everyone know what happens.

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Post #: 10

- 3/9/2001 9:23:00 AM

Gary

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Joined: 2/10/2001
From: Chicago, IL
Status: offline

So much for the "reinstall an unpatched version theory". I unfortunately have to report that after downloading version 4.5 complete, and reinstalling on both systems I still achieve the same result.....no H2H play. I remain absolutely baffled and frustrated.

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Post #: 11

- 3/9/2001 10:28:00 PM

Larry Holt

Posts: 1969
Joined: 3/31/2000
From: Atlanta, GA 30068
Status: offline

Gary, What are the operating system versions on your two systems. Are they both WIN98se or what? I'm wondering if there is a difference in the IP stack between them that might be causing this. ------------------ An old soldier but not yet a faded one. OK, maybe just a bit faded.

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Post #: 12

- 3/10/2001 8:09:00 AM

Paul Vebber

Posts: 11430
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From: Portsmouth RI
Status: offline

On your Hub check to make sure you don't have one of the cables plugged in to a socket set to "uplink"...some 4 port hubs are 3 port with an uplink. Mine has switch that says "uplink/normal" make sure its in "normal..."

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Post #: 13

- 3/10/2001 10:45:00 AM

Gary

Posts: 10
Joined: 2/10/2001
From: Chicago, IL
Status: offline

Hello again gents, thanks for your continued support. Larry: one unit has Win98 while the other has Win98 SE. I just put SE on the other system, however when both were running Win98 I still had the same problem. Paul: Checked my hub, you're right, I too have an uplink port, unfortunately neither card is linked to it. 'Bout ready to give up here.

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Post #: 14

- 3/12/2001 8:42:00 PM

Larry Holt

Posts: 1969
Joined: 3/31/2000
From: Atlanta, GA 30068
Status: offline

The uplink switch is a good thing to check, however, if it was set incorrectly there would be no connectivity at the LAN level, that is pings, etc. would fail. Gary, I'm out of ideas for now. Do you have any other LAN games? I sometimes play Hind vs Apache over IPX and its very unreliable. It takes lots of rebooting to get it to work. I was wondering if you had such problems with another game in addition to SPWaW.

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Post #: 15

- 3/13/2001 12:10:00 PM

Gary

Posts: 10
Joined: 2/10/2001
From: Chicago, IL
Status: offline

Most of my H2H LAN gaming has been IPX, never a problem, always connected. It's just since I've started with TCP/IP connections that I have such problems. A really irritating discovery I had the other night is though I've always played Starfleet Command via IPX, as an experiment I connected via TCP/IP......and played several games without any problems. Go figure. Thanks for all your efforts.

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Post #: 16

- 2/10/2002 10:07:00 AM

M�bius

Posts: 2
Joined: 2/9/2002
From: Connecticut USA
Status: offline

Gary your CPU's
are they both Intel or AMD? What are their Freq's? RAM? size? You said you installed Win98SE DId you install all the updates for them too? I am trying to recreate your problem but need some info to do it. What types of Video Cards do they have?
Sound Cards?
Wait a minute you said one has a modem?
hmmmmmmmm conflict between Ethernet and modem card possible.
Have you tried alternating Host PC?
I'll keep thinking
let me know what you have though Motherboards etc.

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Post #: 17

- 2/10/2002 11:29:00 AM

Supervisor

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Wow that brings back memories, 11 months I think that's the longest I've seen between posts on the same thread so far. Just having some fun while I'm waiting for popcorn to cook before digging in for a long bloody night of ambushing.

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Post #: 18

- 2/10/2002 11:44:00 AM

chief

Posts: 1660
Joined: 9/28/2000
From: Haines City FL, USA
Status: offline

Gmen: A slooooo modem possibly?

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Post #: 19

- 2/10/2002 11:45:00 AM

Supervisor

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I sure hope so.

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Post #: 20

- 2/10/2002 10:50:00 PM

mogami

Posts: 12789
Joined: 8/23/2000
From: You can't get here from there
Status: offline

Hi I am by no means an expert on LAN but take a look here for me and try setting the FRAME TYPE to 802.3 instead of using AUTO . To do this, open your network control panel, find the IPX/SPX driver for your network card, and double-click on it. Click the advanced button, then single-click frame type in the list. You can change your type in the drop box to the right. Make sure both computers are set the same.

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